We are talking organization design in our blogs. Organizations are social units with specific purposes. The basic elements of organizations have remained the same over the years. Several disciplines provide the knowledge and the means to understand organizations. However, it is appropriate to look at organizations integrally in multi-disciplinary perspective. Three viewpoints have emerged, over the years in successive stages, each seeking to provide a window on the others. They are the classical approach, three streams stand out: bureaucracy, administrative theory and principles of scientific management. It is important to note that with the passage of time, the viewpoints have been changed or modified, but not replaced as such. Each major contribution brought new knowledge, awareness, tools and techniques to understand the organizations better.

Thus, today we are richer than ever before tin terms of our knowledge about approaches to understand organizations. We take example of portable car DVD players. Today there are so many companies who are manufacturing car DVD players like philips pet1002 , samsung DVD-L100 , JVC kd-avx33. One person can have all knowledge of such products at one desk. All the same, more knowledge meant reckoning with more complex variables to comprehend the complexities of human organizations. There is, as yet, no general, unified, universal theory as such. Organizations being diverse and complex in more senses than one, it is difficult, if not meaningless to be too general or too specific about them.

Organization structures based on classical bureaucratic principles are hierarchical. But modern organization theories attempted to modify them in the light of experience, changes in technology and knowledge about human behaviour. The centralized structures gave way to some sort of decentralization and thus transformed, partially at least, vertical (tall) organizations into horizontal (flat) ones, reflecting a shift in emphasis from command to consensus based self control. The relative conditions of instability and uncertainty transformed the classical mechanistic forms of management systems into organic ones.

The classical bureaucratic model of organization though pervasive, has been considered inappropriate to the changing requirements of modern times. A bureaucratic organization was considered to be too inflexible and hierarchical to adapt to the changes occurring in organizations and technology.

Parkinson’s laws and Peter Principle highlight the negative aspects of bureaucratic organizations. Whatever be the criticism against bureaucracies, it is realized that to some extent they have become essential. Therefore, writers and organizations began to explore ways to modify the bureaucratic organization structures. In essence these new structures reflect modifications to the classical principles of delegation of authority and standard of control.

Delegation extends the scope of the principle to the point of an abiding organization-wide philosophy of management. A tall organization structure means a series of narrow spans of control, and a flat one incorporates wide spans and limited layers of control at horizontal levels. Both the structures have their advantages and disadvantages. They should be viewed on relevant concepts and not as ideal absolutes.

A tall structure calls for control and close supervision over the subordinates. But close supervision may not necessarily produce better control. Similarly in a flat organization with wide spans, it may not be possible to keep close control over subordinates but it provides for decentralization, individual initiative and self-control. Tall structures are less favorably viewed it is held that self-control is better than imposed control. The choice in this regard however rests ultimately on management assumptions about individuals and groups in organizations.

Countdown started for Christmas. Everyone in family started planning how to manage Christmas holiday. I like to share my though on that as I think it is concern for every family. We try to minimize the gift exchanging in our family by pulling names, I still seem to have a long list every year. These are some gifts that I’ve appreciated getting, as well as some gifts that I think were good gifts to people that I don’t know as well. Mostly, as per my nature I tried to pick things that I didn’t think were completely common.

Last year I was having a bad experience for Christmas shopping. When I went to a gift card mall, it was over crowded and I need to stand in queue to get my bill and get my gift. This year I decided to go with Christmas shopping from home. I am going to buy gift card online. I was surfing on net to find good gift shopping website. Blackhawk Network is one of the good names I found on web. I want to buy gift for my wife and my two kids. I was so surprise to see there were so many gifts available on net which make me surprise. It really make me feel that why I am not shopping online.

Lastly, I was concern with the payment safety as well as delivery of my shopping. I was looking for someone who have secure server and trusted site logo, so I can trust them. At last I find out and I did my Christmas shopping online. I am waiting for the products to be delivery to me. Let’s see!!